Letters: Leading the charge

I just wanted to write and tell you thank you for your op-ed regarding San Diego County Gun Owners and the “special day” bestowed upon them by city council [“Clinched fist of truth,” July 5]. I am the San Diego leader of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and lead the charge on opposing them in city hall. I appreciate your self-reflection regarding your own opinions about guns and really loved your article. The SDCGO are the San Diego arm of the NRA and we must counter them at every turn. While Moms Demand Action supports the second amendment, we do not share SDCGO’s vision of arming every person in San Diego County and allowing more people to conceal carry guns in our county. Thanks again for drawing attention to this important topic.

Wendy Wheatcroft, Group Lead San Diego, Del Cerro

Pride for all

Why do you have a straight person cis-splaining Pride and discussing to her fellow straights what she thinks the rules of Pride are [“Don’t reign on their parade,” July 12]? Y’know, the QUILTBAG community is pretty prevalent and we would have been happy to consult on writing a piece.

First point: Pride should be treated as a holiday to celebrate love. We love allies! We would literally not be here if it weren’t for our friends and family! So what if bystanders are wearing commercialized rainbow products and using Pride as an excuse to make out? More power to them. I’ve only experienced respect in bars; people care more about what you drink and the craft beer, more than anything else in San Diego. My sexual orientation doesn’t matter at the bars. We all want to get wasted. Alcohol doesn’t discriminate.

Second point: assholes come in all sizes. We’ve got thick skin and we’re okay with letting people know if things aren’t cool. We’re also okay with migrating or letting the bouncer know if there’s an asshole (after all, this is standard operating procedures for dealing with assholes) in the midst. No need to become woke by preparing research before you go to your first Pride celebration. Don’t treat it like an exhibit at the zoo. Also, we don’t bite (unless you’re into that).

Third point: as an Asian American who immigrated ten years ago, I wouldn’t dare explain to other Asians about how to treat Dia De Los Muertos, or anything vastly outside my league. Research and education are poor substitutes for life experiences. You can be an anthropologist and still commit faux pas. Come in and learn from the natives.